A Wicked Performance
by Leigh.Aviator
Summary: The Spring Musical is in full swing, and the performance is: Wicked! Will Jeanette be able to stand up to Britney for the lead, or will her timid personality take over again? Rated T to be safe, Lines & Music from Wicked; some S/J, A/B, & T/E.
1. Defying Gravity

_**A/N:**__ Hello, fellow FanFiction readers! For anyone reading Breaking the Silk Thread, I'm still writing! I'm just taking a little breather with this piece. I've been watching a lot of Glee lately :D and this idea just wedged itself into my head. I had to get it out. Here, the Chipmunks and Chipettes are probably juniors in high school, and I'm sure I'll work some in some fluff here and there using the original pairings; I love them. I pray to God you all know the musical _Wicked_, if not, google it, go see it, LOVE it. It's amazing. Also, I'm not a big songfic person; actually, I usually don't read "songfics," but I guess I'm going to have to have some songs written down for this to be a successful fic. Anyway, enough rambling. This is the first half, or third, or whatever, of this piece. R&R and enjoy!_

"And Jeanette could you—"

"Britney, I um, my hands are a little full right now, so…"

"Jeanette! I just need you to write my name on the sign-ups for the spring musical! Can't you do this one little thing for me, sis?"

Jeanette sighed, looking at her sister as she batted her eyes, begging Jeanette to do "just one more thing" for her. She shifted her heavy backpack on her shoulder as she juggled holding Britney's equally heavy bag on her right arm and a folder full of work.

"So return your books—excuse me, book—to the library, turn your lab report in, proofread your research paper, put this in your locker, get out your gym bag and—"

"Glinda! Sign me up for Glinda!" Britney yelled over her shoulder as she ran down the hall of their high school, centering herself in a group of jocks and cheerleaders nearby.

Jeanette started down the hallway toward Britney's locker, trying to push away the thoughts of being angry at herself for letting Britney walk all over her. Suddenly, the weight of the bag in her hands sent her flying forward. She gasped, throwing a hand out in a desperate attempt to steady herself. To her surprise, two warm hands grabbed her arm and waist, setting her back on her feet like a porcelain doll on a stand.

"Whoa, Jean. Easy there."

At the mention of her nickname, Jeanette smiled as she looked up, seeing her bespectacled counterpart looking her over. He was constantly on the lookout for her bumps and bruises.

"Thanks, Simon. You seem to come along at just the right time."

"It's a full-time job keeping you on your feet, but somebody's got to do it," Simon replied, giving her a smile that could've warmed her in a blinding blizzard.

If only Simon knew that.

She giggled, shifting her heavy bookbag on her back again.

"Jeanette. What are you doing?" His eyes were suddenly scolding now, eyeing Britney's hot pink bookbag in Jeanette's hands, along with the pink folder tucked under her arm. "You're not Britney's slave, you know."

"I know, but she's busy."

"With what? The latest Crashcup gossip?" Simon replied, nodding his head in Britney's direction at the other end of the hallway.

Jeanette sighed, looking at the locker numbers as she continued to walk. When she found Britney's locker, she dropped her own bag off her shoulder, thankful to be rid of its heavy weight. To her surprise, Simon caught it easily with one hand before it hit the ground, tossing it over his shoulder.

"Reading Shakespeare again?" he asked, weighing the bag in his hand. Jeanette chuckled at the fact that Simon could feel the weight difference in her bag of whether she was lugging around her prized copy of Shakespeare's entire works or not. It was her guilty pleasure: leather bound hardback, gilt-edged pages. It contained every work ever written by William Shakespeare, and she carried it like one would carry a child. It had cost her almost all of her savings, but it was worth every penny.

Jeanette pulled Britney's red cheerleading bag out of the locker before shoving her backpack inside. She gathered her belongings, arguing with Simon about who would carry her own backpack. She finally gave in, letting her best friend carry the overstuffed bag. She dropped her head as they walked, trying to hide her blushing cheeks at Simon's incessant attitude.

"So what homework are you doing for her?" Simon asked, sliding the folder out from under Jeanette's arm before she could grab it back.

"You used to do Alvin's homework," she protested, watching Simon flip through the contents of the folder.

"Ah, so you _are_ doing her homework."

"No!" Jeanette fired back, "I'm just turning in her lab report and proofreading her research paper."

"Lab report that she hasn't finished," Simon replied, not taking his eyes off the folder as he handed Jeanette a thick wad of papers. "And, though I would hardly say a paragraph is a research paper, something that she hasn't typed or finished."

Jeanette shook her head, looking at the four sentence paragraph Britney had hurriedly scribbled down on torn notebook paper.

She kept her head down as she stopped at her own locker, taking the bag and the folder from Simon. She was ashamed he always caught her covering for her older sister, though he knew where she was coming from; he let Alvin drag on his coattails all through elementary and middle school. If only she had the gumption to cut Britney off as Simon had done to Alvin.

"What else do you have to do?" Simon asked quietly after a moment of silence, squatting down to her level on the floor as she opened her locker. Jeanette looked up at him with a small smile.

"Return this book," she answered, pulling out a small paperback and placing it in Simon's hands. "And sign her up for the spring musical."

"The bulletin board's right there," Simon replied, pointing across the hall before pulling Jeanette to her feet. "C'mon."

As the two chipmunks approached the bright green bulletin board, Jeanette sighed as she searched for a pen. Simon eyed her suspiciously.

"_Wicked_? And you're not signing up?"

"I told Mrs. Wilson I would help with props and costumes again. There's going to be a lot of rigging that needs to be taken care of," she replied as she signed Britney's name under the column for Glinda.

"Jeanette," Simon repeated, grabbing her shoulders as he turned her to face him. "You _love_ _Wicked_. It's your favorite musical. You are the school's best singer. Sign up!" Simon urged, stabbing at the board with the end of the pen.

"Actually, Britney is the school's best singer," Jeanette corrected him as she recapped the pen.

"Bullshit."

Jeanette's head snapped up, shocked. Simon rarely cursed.

He grabbed the pen from her hands, snatching the cap from the top. "_You_ are the best singer at this school, I don't care what Britney says. That and the fact that Britney just wants the lead, yet she's too stupid to realize that Elphaba has the lead role, correct?"

Jeanette had to take a moment to catch her breath. Not only was Simon complimenting her, he had read _Wicked_ and was pushing her to do the very thing she'd been dreaming about since she first fell in love with the play. She loved its parallel with a classic tale, its role reversal and twisted background retelling of _The Wizard of Oz_.

"Now either you write your name here, or I will," Simon challenged her, a controversial gleam in his eye. Her cheeks flamed as she puffed out her chest, lightly taking the pen from his grasp. She signed her name under Elphaba's column, gulping as she saw it in black and white.

"You won't regret it," Simon promised her with a wink.

Jeanette fiddled with the edge of her skirt as she sat through Mrs. Wilson's introduction to the students about the musical. Along with the other students in the auditorium, Britney sat a few rows up, surrounded by her popular friends. She was already chirping about whether her dresses should be mainly pink or mainly yellow for the production. Jeanette felt short of breath, and wondered vaguely if she would have a panic attack by the time everything was all said and done. Beside her, Theodore and Eleanor were chatting lightly about the parts they had signed up for.

Jeanette looked around for Simon, both wishing he was here to raise her morale, yet at the same time hoping he was absent so she wouldn't make a fool out of herself in front of him.

But there he was, peeking from behind the curtain. He was pinning up a diagram of the stage plan and the organization of the props. There he was, effortlessly knowing exactly what do to in every situation. Jeanette sighed, smiling at Simon's take-charge attitude and the fact that she could call him her best friend.

"_STUDENTS!"_

Mrs. Wilson's sharp voice snapped Jeanette out of her daze and set her teetering on the edge of insanity again.

"I will begin passing out scripts for tryouts for our principle roles. When I call your name, please come to the front to collect your materials. Glinda! Skylar Scott, Taylor Owens, Jessica Johnson, Tiffany Pike, and Britney Miller."

Jeanette watched as four blonde girls tossed their way to the front of the auditorium, taking their small black pamphlets. Following after, her auburn sister made her entrance even in collecting her script as she waited for the rest of the girls to clear out before she glided down the aisle.

"Nessarose! Lisa Palmer, Whitney Tilghman, and Eleanor Miller."

She smiled as her blonde sister walked up confidently to collect her script. She would fit the part of Nessa perfectly; gentle and kind, yet with a fiery inner core that could lash out on rare occasion. Her athletic background would give her an advantage when moving intricately across the stage in a wheelchair for the majority of the production.

"Boq! William Sheckler, Theodore Seville, Douglas Mifflin, and Tyler Stone."

She figured Theodore would choose a role that would put him as close to Eleanor as possible, even if it wouldn't last throughout the play. Mrs. Wilson continued to call out the rest of the principle parts, including The Wizard, Madam Morrible, and Fiyero. Jeanette wasn't surprised to see that Alvin was trying out for both The Wizard and Fiyero, the lead villain and lead male roles, respectively. Like her sister, Alvin always shone brightest in the spotlight, whether he was saving the day or taking over the world. She was a little downtrodden to see that all the boys who were trying out for Fiyero were like Alvin, stereotypical jocks and popular boys in their high school. They, like Britney, probably assumed Fiyero ended up with Glinda, the beautiful princess, at the end. More than likely, they had failed to read past the first few scenes to realize that Fiyero fell in love with the green witch instead.

But it didn't matter who Fiyero was anyway. She knew she would never get the part of Elphaba; there was always someone better, someone more talented, someone prettier. Her hands shook at the mere thought of reciting lines in front of all these people. She'd been in a fair share of plays in grade school, and had helped produce nearly every one that had ever been at her school over the years. She even sang in front of thousands of people. But going up against someone like Bethany Turnage, lead soprano in the school chorus, made her head spin.

"ELPHABA!"

_Oh no. This is it. _

Jeanette stood shakily to her feet as the rest of the audience looked around at the girls trying out; she could almost hear their disbelieving remarks through their stares. She kept her head down as she felt the familiar burn in her cheeks. She smoothed her skirt nervously as she slid past Theodore and Eleanor, stepping on their toes and rushing out jumbled apologies. Her sister smiled up at her warmly, understanding she was a nervous wreck and trying to sooth her frazzled nerves.

By the time she approached Mrs. Wilson, Jeanette's knees were literally knocking together.

_I can't do this,_ she thought miserably. _There's no way. If I can't even make it down to get my script, how am I possibly going to sing in front of all these people?_

"M-M-M-Mrs. Wilson. I think there was some mistake. I-I-I-I'm just g-going to be helping with p-p-props and scenery, m-m-maybe fill in for the extras."

Mrs. Wilson cocked one sculpted eyebrow, peering down at the sign-ups.

"I-I-It was just a…a dare. I-I-I couldn't…"

"Hmmm. Very well then, Jeanette. You can join Mr. Seville backstage, he seems to be the most organized of the bunch back there."

Disappointed that she had let Simon down, but too horrified to try out, Jeanette slumped backstage, peering behind the bundled curtains at Simon, who was busy directing traffic already.

The older they got, Jeanette saw a leader blossom in Simon. He wasn't bossy, like Alvin, and he wasn't passive, like Theodore; he was a perfect balance. Simon was level-headed and intelligent enough to formulate a plan in any situation within minutes. But though Simon's confidence had risen, hers had remained dormant. She was still timid and bashful Jeanette, no matter how hard her sisters and the Chipmunks tried to push her out of her cocoon.

She came around the corner, feeling like a puppy with its tail between its legs. She stood beside Simon quietly, who was circling sections of a large diagram with different colors.

"So why'd you cop out?" he asked, not taking his attention off his work. "Afraid of what your sister might think?"

"Bullying me isn't going to help, Simon." Jeanette tried to focus on anything else as she tried not to cower.

After a few minutes of silence, Simon laid aside the bundle of markers he'd been using and rubbed his temple.

"Jean, I understand what it means to be afraid. But nobody ever got _anywhere_ by being frightened all the time. When I think of all the stuff I never…" Simon broke off, shaking his head as he looked down. After a moment, he raised his head and looked at her with a confused gaze before touching her cheek with his thumb, sending a fire clear down to Jeanette's toes.

"C'mon. You can help me get these idiots in order."

A half-hour later, Jeanette leaned up against a wooden backdrop watching her sister rehearse the final scene of Act I with Beth, who was trying out for the part of Elphaba. After a few tries, Britney had snagged the part of Glinda effortlessly. She didn't blame Mrs. Wilson; there was no way any other person would be able to play the part of an egotistical, self-centered, yet soft-hearted princess like her sister. The part required her to sing, act like a spoiled brat, and twirl around in pink party dresses drenched in glitter. She was even rehearsing on the first day with Glinda's tiara placed on her auburn head.

Beth was doing well, her voice was lovely as always, but even in a moment centered around Elphaba and the Wizard, she was letting Britney take over the scene.

"Beth! Stop; stop right there. Dear, you have a beautiful voice and a foot in the door of your acting career, just like every other girl I've sent out of here today. But this is the fifth time I've given you to take charge of the scene and you've failed to do so. I'm sorry, but the part isn't for you."

Horrified, Beth tossed her perfectly sculpted blonde curls over her shoulder, huffing off the stage. Britney smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That was the last person auditioning," Jeanette whispered to Simon, who had stopped beside her to watch. "How is she going to continue rehearsal s with no lead?"

"_Miller!"_

"Yes, Ms. Wilson?" Britney replied, delicately folding her hands behind her and thrusting her shoulders back.

"No, Britney, I—"

"Mrs. Wilson?" Eleanor called, coming down from her seat in the auditorium where she had been practicing her lines.

"_JEANETTE!"_

Shocked, Jeanette stepped out from behind the curtain. "Me, Mrs. Wilson?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, you. Here," she said casually, sliding a script across the stage to Jeanette. "Read for Elphaba. So Britney will have someone to act alongside, for the moment."

Jeanette's cheeks burned with their familiar blush as she bent down to pick up the small green book. She stood slowly, looking over her shoulder at Simon.

"Go!" He whispered, pushing her gently forward.

"Pick up near the end of Scene 8, Alvin, beginning with spies," Ms. Wilson instructed the trio.

Alvin, reading the part of the Wizard, crossed downstage to stand across from Jeanette.

"Won't they make perfect spies?"

"S-s-pies?" Jeanette mumbled, stumbling through the lines.

"You're right, that's a harsh word…how about scouts? That's what they'll be really. They'll fly around Oz! Reporting any subversive animal activity," Alvin crooned, sweeping his hand through the sky before narrowing one eye over his shoulder in Jeanette's direction.

The script shaking in her hands, Jeanette took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, focusing on the words she was about to say, the words she knew by heart and didn't need to read on the paper before her. She imagined herself not as shy, scared Jeanette Miller. But instead, she imagined herself as Elphaba, realizing that the man she had idolized her entire life was a cruel, fake bigot, merely trying to look good in front of the town of Oz. She saw Simon's face before her, his confused expression as he used the word "frightened."

He was right; no one ever got anywhere by being frightened.

"You can't read this book at all! Can you?" The words gushed out of her as she narrowed her eyes at Alvin, stepping toward him. "That's why you need enemies, and cages, and spies. You have no real power."

Alvin blinked a few times, stunned at her sudden snap into character. "Exactly…that's why I need you. Don't you see?" He replied, recovering quickly. "The word is your oyster now! You have so many…opportunities. You both do."

"Thank you, your Ozness!" Britney called out, swooping herself into the spotlight as she touched Alvin's arm lightly.

"NO!" Jeanette shrieked, turning on her heel and stalking offstage, her head down. She felt the words coursing through her veins as she almost plowed into Simon, who was watching with a smirk on his face.

"Sorry," she whispered, turning around to get ready for the next scene.

He elbowed her gently in her side, turning his attention back to the stage.

"Elphie!" Britney called in Jeanette's direction before running offstage to join her sister. "I am _so_ sorry, your Wizardship. I'll fetch her back! Elphie, wait!"

"We must get her back. She knows too much," Alvin continued. "Guards, guards! There is a fugitive loose in the palace! Find her, capture her, and bring her to me!"

"Alright, Alvin, offstage. Jeanette and Britney, let's go!" Mrs. Wilson instructed as Jeanette strode onstage with Britney trailing behind.

"Elphie, wait! Where are you going?" Britney began, her heels clicking as she quickly followed behind Jeanette, who was looking for imaginary stairs.

"Oh no! There are no more stairs! This might be the attic…"

"Elphaba, listen to me…"

"I have to barricade the door!" Jeanette cried, grabbing a long stick lying against the tattered canvas backdrop, using it as the broomstick.

"Elphaba, why couldn't you have stayed calm for once instead of flying off the handle?! _I hope you're happy!" _Britney began to sing, moving closer to her sister. "_I hope you're happy now; I hope you're happy how you've hurt your cause forever, I hope you think you're clever!"_

Instantly, Jeanette found her voice. She didn't think about the fact that she was singing next to her superstar sister, and it wasn't backup for a change.

"_I hope you're happy! I hope you're happy too. I hope you're proud how you would grovel in submission, to feed your own ambition!"_

Jeanette stepped forward until she was nose-to-nose with her sister.

"_So though I can't imagine how, I hope you're happy, right now…"_ The two girls voices blended in beautiful harmony, perfected through years of singing together.

"Citizens of Oz!" Alvin interjected, his voice coming from offstage. "There is an enemy that must be found and captured! Believe nothing she says. She's—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute." Britney marched toward the front apron of the stage, her hand placed on a cocked hip. "I believe there's been a misunderstanding here."

"Yes, Miss Miller?" Mrs. Wilson asked, folding her hands in front of her, her wildly colored nails gleaming in the overhead stage lights.

"Call me crazy," Britney replied with a short laugh, "but it seems to me like this green girl is beginning to be the star of the show…? When clearly the production is about my character, Glinda the Good. I don't think the lead usually participates in a lot of duets," Britney continued, beginning to flip through her script. "And as I can see just by browsing through, this 'Elfababble' girl is singing with me an awful lot."

"It's Elpha_ba_, Britney," Jeanette hissed.

"Whatever."

"Well, Miss Miller, you would be correct." Mrs. Wilson rose from her seat, walking down the aisle and toward the stage.

Britney laughed nervously. "About what, Ms. Wilson?"

"Elphaba _is_ the lead of the play. Glinda is a major character, but the entire play is centered on Elphaba and her story. I'm surprised it took you this long to figure that out."

Britney looked as though she'd been slapped. Jeanette was trying to hide a smile, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Simon and Alvin holding each other up backstage they were laughing so hard, which was oblivious to Britney.

"Well, I—" Britney began, cocking one hip to the side in her traditional argumentative stance.

"And Jeanette?"

"Yes, Mrs. Wilson?" Jeanette's cheeks turned pink merely at the sound of her being called upon.

"You're our Elphaba."

"_What?!" _Britney and Jeanette echoed together.

"Now wait just a minute, Ms. Wilson," Britney started again, walking to the edge of the stage. "I have something to say."

"The floor is yours, Miss Miller."

"I believe I have the best potential when it comes to playing Elphaba. I mean, I have the most experience, the best figure and appearance, and as for the requirements for E-El…whatever her name is, do they not call for a mezzo-soprano?"

"They do."

"Well then, I'm _obviously_ your girl!" Britney threw back her head, pleased at her brief argument.

"Britney, _I'm _a mezzo-soprano too, you know." Jeanette spoke up, surprising even herself.

Britney laughed casually. "Jeanette," she replied, placing a degrading hand on her sister's shoulder, "your voice is deeper than mine. Besides, we both know I have better stage presence."

"Just because I can hit a wider variety of notes than you can does not mean I can't hit a note high enough to be a mezzo-soprano," Jeanette answered smartly, her face growing hot. "And Britney, do you not realize that as Elphaba, you have to wear _green_ body paint? For the _entirety _of the show?"

Britney wrinkled her nose. "Well, green's not exactly my color but," she turned, placing a hand to her chest to croon at Mrs. Wilson, "I'll do _anything_ to put myself in character!"

"Then aren't you better cast as the princess?!" Jeanette fired back, her cheeks red from anger now rather than embarrassment.

"Jeanette! Oh my gosh! I cannot bel—"

"_This_ is exactly why I thought you two would be _perfect_ for the parts!" Mrs. Wilson cut in, clapping her hands as she approached the stage where the two girls stood nose-to-nose, their chests rising and falling heavily.

"You're sisters, so you naturally have a sense of occasional tension and competition between each other, the same that Glinda and Elphaba reflect. Yet you have the same sisterly bond of love for each other as our characters share." Mrs. Wilson's face was split into a bright, ruby-rimmed grin, as if she was pleased with the outcome of the seething sisters in front of her.

"However, I cannot ignore the tension you are expressing. For all intents and purposes, let me grasp an understanding here, so that we may clear this air and focus this _rich _emotion toward our production," Mrs. Wilson continued smoothly, tossing the long tail of her colorful shawl over her shoulder.

"Britney, you're expressing to me that you would like to abandon your character as Glinda and instead, take on the role of Elphaba. Correct?"

"Of course," Britney replied, casually flipping her sleek, straight hair over her shoulder.

"And you, Jeanette? I know you were, unsure…"

Hearing Mrs. Wilson's words flow through her ears, Jeanette felt the familiar warmth in her cheeks, unsure if this time it was from anger, embarrassment, or both. This was her one shot.

She looked over at her sister, her perfect auburn hair gleaming in the stage lights. She waited, expected to be handed the lead, just as she was handed popularity, beauty, captain of the cheerleading squad, prom queen, and every other title in her high school career to put her on top.

Jeanette turned again, looking backstage at Simon. Her best friend stared back at her, a half-smile adorning his warm face as he beckoned her forward with his crisp blue eyes. From that one gaze, that one smile, a warmth filled Jeanette from her blushing cheeks clear down to her purple flats. It was just enough for—

"Yes. Yes, I want to be Elphaba."

She blew out a heavy breath that she realized she'd been holding. Jeanette rubbed her sweaty palms on her skirt, stepping forward and raising her chin. "I'm sure of it."

No sooner had the words left her lips than Britney turned on her heel again, coming back over to get in Jeanette's face.

"What are you _doing_, Jeanette?" she hissed. "You're making a _fool_ out of yourself."

Jeanette turned her head, pushing past her sister's selfishness as she approached the foot of the stage.

"What do we need to do, Mrs. Wilson?" she asked, trying desperately to cling to her confidence as one tries to hold water in cupped hands.

"Well, if two talented actors both yearn for the same part, I have no other choice but to host an audition; a sing-off!"

"A _sing-off?_ This isn't Glee, Ms. Wilson," Britney retorted, her hands on her hips.

"Will we be singing the same song or different ones?" Jeanette asked, ignoring Britney's comment, while it gave her an idea. "I have something in mind."

"Well, I haven't really thought about it, so enlighten me, Jeanette."

"I think we should sing Defying Gravity. It has a high F, it's the climax of the first act, and it's a segment where the girls' characters part ways. Whoever sings it best gets the part," Jeanette replied simply.

"Wonderful! I think that is a fantastic idea. Very well thought through, Jeanette!" Mrs. Wilson replied, beaming up at the pair. "Looks like it's going to be a Glee moment after all, Britney!"

Beside Jeanette, Britney rolled her eyes. "Fine. When are we doing this get-up?"

"Fifteen minutes. The pianist knows your part. Go warm up ladies, and meet me back here!"

"W-w-w-what?" Jeanette stuttered, suddenly drained of her confidence. "I thought we could do it later this w-w-week. You know, when we had some time to practice."

Britney laughed at her sister. "Practice? Jeanette, a star is ready to shine the moment she's called," she said, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Britney's right, Jeanette," Mrs. Wilson stated, making her way back up the aisle. "True actors need no practice; their talent is always ready to burst through."

"Are you saying you're not up for the challenge, little sister?" Britney smirked, moving in on Jeanette.

"N-no. I can perform under pressure," Jeanette answered shakily, before turning to walk backstage.

"Oh, and Jeanette?!" Britney called after her sister, dropping her competitive, smirking attitude and retrieving her "honey-do" façade. "I got an F on my research paper _and_ my lab report! Ms. Murphy told me my research paper wasn't long enough, and Dr. Agorham told me my lab report wasn't finished. What the hell?"

Jeanette was standing right in front of Simon as she processed Britney's words. He beamed at her, which was enough to fill the dusky backstage with enough light to burn the house down. She turned on her heel, cocking her head to one side before speaking to her sister.

"Um, Britney, you told me to turn in the lab report, which I did. And you told me to proofread your paper, which I also did. You misspelled twelve words, misused comas, and included a word that wasn't even a real word. So I corrected them. You said turn it in, so I did."

"But Jeanette, my paper was only one paragraph long! And my lab report wasn't finished!"

"It's _your_ lab report, Britney, not mine. It's sad that you can't turn it in by yourself, but that still doesn't make it my place to finish the work you didn't do. And as for your paper, I did what I was asked. The fact that it was not typed, not edited, not cited, and basically not written, is your fault. So above all, the fact that you didn't do your homework like you were supposed to," she replied, walking up to Britney until they were nose-to-nose, as Britney had approached her all day, "is _not_ my problem."

And with that, she threw her shoulders back, retreating back to the smiling boy behind the curtains waiting for her.


	2. Dancing Through Life

_**A/N: **__I'm back! This was a doozy to write, and I can't believe how many favorite stories I got from this! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I had no idea this would be so popular. Pop-youuu-lar…anyway :) Just to forewarn you, this is intertwined with a lot of the Wicked Script, most of which I got from watching YouTube videos of past performances. I even found the same performance I saw live in London in 2008! So exciting! However, as always, neither Wicked nor the Chipmunks belong to me, no matter how much I wish they did. I did use the Glee version of _Defying Gravity_ for Jeanette's lyrics, so they're a bit different from the Broadway version. Other than that, keep reading and reviewing; I think I'm going to drag this out a few more chapters! Tell me what you think!_

_PS: According to some readers, I've been spelling Brittany's name wrong. So this from this chapter on, she will now be _Brittany _instead of _Britney._ Thanks for pointing that out to me, starbin21 and darth-korbo!_

_---_

Fifteen minutes later, Jeanette was chewing nervously on her pinky finger, glancing around at the classmates in the auditorium waiting to hear she and Brittany compete.

She felt a hand on her back, and she jerked at the sudden touch.

"Calm down slick, it's just me."

Jeanette looked up, surprised to see Alvin standing beside her with a smirk on his face, so identical to Simon's it startled her.

"Don't tell me you're nervous," he continued, leaning casually against a doorframe opposite her.

She laughed, though it was short and strained. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just Brittany. You know, your sister?"Alvin replied, as though they were competing for more bathroom time instead of the lead role in this play.

"Yet, at the same time, it's _Brittany_," Jeanette said, exasperated now. "She gets everything. She's the _best_ at everything_._"

Alvin laughed, shaking his head. "No, she's not, Jeanette. As much as she thinks she's a goddess—and don't get me wrong, she can be," he replied, looking in Brittany's direction with his famous gleam in his eye, "she's no better than you. Just be Jeanette. Brittany can't be that. Don't sell yourself so short, kid."

Jeanette blinked, astounded at the wisdom spilling from Alvin's lips so easily.

"Th-thanks, Alvin."

"Anytime," he said with a wink, dashing onto the stage to cut up with Brittany before showtime.

"_Girls!"_

Mrs. Wilson's voice rang out over the auditorium, but suddenly Jeanette was able to push the butterflies down as she stepped out under the lights. Brittany was already sitting atop the Baby Grand on stage, smoothing her shining hair in her hands.

"Who's going first, girls?" Mrs. Wilson asked, settling down in her seat.

"Brittany can go first," Jeanette spoke up, finding a seat at the front of the stage.

Slightly surprised, Brittany smiled, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Good call, Jeanette."

She remained seated at the piano, crossing her legs and throwing her shoulders back as the pianist began to play.

From the first notes, Jeanette didn't hear Brittany's angelic voice, a threat to her in this competition. Instead, she imagined herself onstage, wielding her broomstick in her hands as she strode to center stage in front of a full house, belting her lungs out. She imagined standing tall, her chin held high as her voice flowed over the auditorium. She was no longer timid, bashful Jeanette Miller, but instead, she was Elphaba, realizing for the first time the power she had over her own life, rising high above Oz as she…

"Jeanette? _Jeanette?"_

Snapping out of her daydream, Jeanette jumped to her feet, realizing that Brittany was done singing her piece and was now staring at her, along with everyone else in the room. She blushed deeply, taking her place beside the piano as her sister jumped down, walking past her with a smirk. Jeanette placed her hand on the cool, satin smooth surface of the gleaming piano, her sweaty palm pressing into the wood as she steadied herself against it, taking a deep breath.

"Whenever you're ready, Miss Miller."

Jeanette turned, setting her shoulders back as she nodded to the pianist. Now or never.

Simon leaned against the partition as he watched Jeanette cross paths with her sister, taking her place beside the piano instead of sprawling atop it as Brittany had. She took a deep breath as she nodded to the pianist, giving him the go-ahead.

As the soft notes floated over the stage again, he saw a new light come into Jeanette's eyes. She stood stronger, bolder, more confident. She seemed to become Elphaba right on stage, right before his very eyes. She seemed to be crawling out of her shell, as he had been coaxing her for so many years to do. It almost seemed as though—

"_Something has changed within me_."

Simon smiled, hearing the first notes of her fantastic voice envelop the entire auditorium.

"_Something is not the same. I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game._

_Too late for second guessing. Too late to go back to sleep. It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap….!"_

Simon glanced across the stage to the opposite wing at Alvin, who was watching Jeanette as she tilted her head back to hold the note. His eyebrows were raised in surprise, taken aback that Jeanette could sing so beautifully in an instant.

"_It's time to try defying gravity. I think I'll try defying gravity. Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity, and you can't pull me down."_

Jeanette's voice crescendoed as she stepped away from the piano, letting the words wrap around her.

"_I'm through accepting limits, 'cause someone says they're so. Some things I cannot change, but 'til I try, I'll never know._

_Too long I've been afraid of losing love I guess I'd lost. Well if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost!"_

Simon looked down into the auditorium seats at Eleanor, who was perched atop the back of a chair, her hands clasped together in her lap as she held back a smile Simon knew was there. Her eyes lit up as she watched her sister move downstage, her hands suddenly moving with the music.

_I'd sooner buy defying gravity. Kiss me goodbye! I'm defying gravity! I think I'll try defying gravity, And you can't pull me down…"_

Before Simon's eyes, Jeanette was at the front of the stage; her eyes squeezed shut as she belted out the notes that had taken over her body, her hands clasping the open air in front of her.

"_I'd sooner buy defying gravity, Kiss me goodbye, I'm Defying Gravity!"_

Simon mentally pumped his fist as she hit the first high note, but he nervously glanced down at Mrs. Wilson as he watched Jeanette, prepared for the upcoming infamous High F.

"_I think I'll try defying gravity, and you can't bring me down! Bring me down! O-ooh-oh!_"

Simon's face was split into such a grin he didn't think he'd ever be able to pry his lips away from his cheekbones. He looked down at Brittany, whose mouth was hanging wide open at the perfect note that Jeanette had hit twice. He held himself back from jumping out of the curtains to snatch her up into his arms and parade her around the room.

Mrs. Wilson was on her feet, her notes left on the table. She clapped her hands together as she approached the stage.

"Beautifully done, girls! Beautiful! The Millers were blessed with beautiful voices! Now, I won't reveal my decision until tomorrow, of course. Brittany, you were breathtaking, as always," she commented, making Brittany smirk as she cocked her hip. "But I must say, I'm very impressed, Jeanette. You've really come out of your shell, my dear."

Brittany snorted, turning on her heel to go backstage, pushing past a laughing Alvin as she went.

After half an hour of rotating between scenes focusing on Glinda and Elphaba, Mrs. Wilson sat down in her chair, sending the students out for a break. Simon came from behind the heavy velour curtain, wiping his sawdust covered hands on his faded jeans. He noticed her flipping through some script pages and descended the stage steps, coming down to sit beside her.

"Something bothering you, Mrs. Wilson?" He asked, looking at the older woman's furrowed brow behind her bejeweled cat-eye glasses.

She sighed before replying. "Well dear, after all this hullabaloo for finding Elphaba's character—which I still haven't picked yet, of course--" She said, giving him a look that said she wasn't revealing the lead role just yet.

"Of course not, Mrs. Wilson," he said with a chuckle. "Go on."

"Well, Elphaba and Glinda are very important characters, as you know, and we've done our share of the other auditions. However, I just can't put my finger on a suitable Fiyero. After weeding out the idiots, so to speak," Mrs. Wilson continued, crossing her arms with a sigh, "the best Fiyero I can find is Alvin, though I believe I'd rather have him as the Wizard."

"He does make a good Wizard," Simon agreed, leaning forward to rest his chin on his hands. Forever glued to his mind was the image of Jeanette, dark tendrils of her hair framing her face as her smooth voice washed over him like warm ocean waves.

"Why don't you help me decide where to place him?" Mrs. Wilson's voice broke apart his daydream, sending it wafting away like smoke. "As much work as you do for me backstage and in planning the productions, I think of you as an apprentice anyway." She stood as the students mulled back onto the stage, Jeanette walking beside Eleanor as they chatted lightly. Simon observed his older brother walking beside Brittany, his eyes drifting off into space as she babbled on, her face set in an annoyed expression. _They'd cut it perfectly for Fiyero and Glinda in the first act, especially in Dancing through Life, _Simon thought to himself, as he flipped to that scene in the playbook._ They have enough ego to fill the room._

"What a perfect scene to practice with, Simon!" Mrs. Wilson said suddenly, noticing the page Simon was browsing over. She whipped the book out of his hand, beginning to direct traffic onstage. "Why don't we mix things up a bit!" Mrs. Wilson's voice boomed out to the students scattered about the stage. "Eleanor, pull out the old wheelchair, I'll have you as Nessarose. And Theodore, I'll have you play Boq. This is one of his most prominent scenes, so we'll see how you do there. Alvin, I'm recruiting your brother to decide whether you place you in the role of the Wizard or as our faithful hero, Fiyero. And as for Galinda—Brittany, since you've been pouting so much about Jeanette's performance as Elphaba, why don't we try you out for this scene. Elphaba will be played by Brittany, therefore why don't we have Jeanette as Galinda?"

Simon cringed at the thought of sweet, soft-spoken Jeanette as a loud-mouthed brat like Glinda, or Galinda, shall we say. It was the beginning of the first act, after all.

He chucked to himself as Jeanette wrinkled her nose, picking up the playbook as she crossed downstage, while Brittany was skipping around, tickled to have gotten her way. _She'll be disappointed when she realizes she barely has any lines in this scene, and when she does, everyone will be laughing at her,_ Simon thought to himself as read over the upcoming scene in a spare script book.

"Alright everyone, from the beginning of Scene Four, please! Alvin, you may begin when you're ready."

Simon watched his brother situate himself slightly stage left, a few paces away from Jeanette, who stood dead center. _Where she should be,_ he caught himself thinking, mentally blushing at the words. Theodore stood in between them, facing Jeanette, while Eleanor sat in the wheelchair at stage right, waiting for her part. Alvin cleared his throat, his voice effortlessly ready to perform at any given moment.

"_The trouble with schools is, they always try to teach the wrong lesson," _he began, his casual singing voice fitting the role perfectly. "_Believe me, I've been kicked out of enough of them to know. They want you to become Less callow, Less…shallow,"_ Alvin sang, leaning toward Jeanette and nudging her shoulder. She laughed uncomfortably, not flirtatiously, like Galinda was supposed to laugh._ "But I say, 'Why invite stress in?' Stop studying strife;"_ He plucked a tattered book out of Theodore's hand, who shuttered on cue, and dashed after the book Alvin threw offstage._ "And learn to live the unexamined life…" _

He moved toward Jeanette as the beat picked up, skimming past her effortlessly. He always had the grace of a ballerina on his feet, or the moves of Michael Jackson, as he liked to say.

"_Dancing through life, skimming the surface, gliding where turf is smooth. Life's more painless, for the brainless; Why think so hard, when it's so soothing…Dancing through life, No need to tough it, when you can sluff it off as I do! Nothing matters, but knowing nothing matters; It's just life, so keeping dancing through…"_

_Wow, I never realized how much this song suited Alvin_, Simon chuckled to himself as he watched Alvin leap around the stage, flirting with imaginary girls who would be positioned for him at showtime. He moved around the stage easily, his feet almost gliding underneath him.

"_Dancing through life, swaying and swinging, And always keeping cool; Life is fraughtless, when you're thoughtless," _He continued, making his way back over toward Jeanette to tweak her chin, but instead he let his thumb brush over her soft pink lips. Unconsciously, Simon felt his fist clench as a burn ran through his chest._ "Those who don't try, never look foolish. Dancing through life, Mindless and careless, Make sure you're where less, Trouble is rife! Woes are fleeting, blows are glancing, When you're dancing through life!" _Alvin sang, holding out the long note as he hung off of a prop, Jeanette standing underneath it as she gazed up at him, trying desperately to look adoring.

"So? What's the most swankified place in town?" He spoke, looking down at Jeanette with a wink.

"That would be the OzDust Ballroom," Jeanette said, swirling around almost perfectly to look up at him from centerstage, surprising Simon how gracefully his normally clumsy friend was moving on her feet.

"Sounds perfect!" Alvin yelled, leaping off the prop. "_Let's go down to the OzDust Ballroom, we'll meet there later tonight,"_ he continued, starting to dance centerstage as he picked up Fiyero's movements swiftly_. _Though Jeanette was supposed to poorly copy him, according to the script, she merely stood behind, watching him in a way that made Simon's chest burn again. "_We can dance 'til it lights, find the prettiest girl; give her a whirl…"_ He clasped Jeanette's hand, beginning to bend down to kiss it before Theodore cut in, twirling her gently away from him. Simon was suddenly grateful for Boq's annoying presence in the scene._ "Right on down to the OzDust Ballroom; Come on, follow me, you'll be happy to be there…" _Alvin belted out, singing the next part alone, his voice making up for the absent background singers who would be present in the real production.

"_Dancing through life, Down at the OzDust…"_ He grabbed Jeanette's hand again, twirling her in front of him before tucking her under his arm as he hugged her thin shoulders.

"_Only because dust is what we come to; Nothing matters, but knowing nothing matters. It's just, Life…" _ He sang on as Jeanette joined him on the last word, looking up at him as they sang.

He grabbed Jeanette from underneath his arm, his hand on her waist as he twirled her out, then swung her around as they swapped positions, his hand resting against her open palm as they walked closer together. While he intertwined his fingers with hers, his opposite hand reaching greedily for her slender waist, Simon was a mess.

From the audience, Simon realized he had destroyed a spare paper in his sweaty fist, his other hand rubbing his chest uncontrollably. It felt as if he'd been attacked with the worst case of heartburn imaginable, and he flopped back in his seat as beads of sweat had begun to gather on his forehead. He brushed them away impatiently, waiting for Theodore to cut in again before Alvin could walk any closer to Jeanette. Apparently oblivious to it all, Mrs. Wilson sat beside him, intrigued in Alvin's performance, no doubt. He was wonderful at playing Fiyero, which pissed Simon off for a reason he couldn't put his finger on. Or didn't want to.

"Miss Galinda!" Theodore's voice was like a breath of fresh air for Simon as he placed a hand on Alvin's chest, pushing him away and breaking the chain of their hands as he stepped in front of Jeanette, though Alvin continued to stare at her with a gleam in his eye.

"I hope you'll save at least one dance for me!" Theodore continued. "I'll be right there. Right by your side. Waiting. All night."

"Oh, well that's so kind, Biq," Jeanette said slowly, hitting the lines perfectly as she looked over his shoulder at Alvin, who was sliding back into the shadows of the stage.

"Boq," Theodore corrected, pressing a hand to his chest.

"Do you know what would be even kinder?" She asked him, her voice lowering as she pulled him downstage. "_See that tragically beautiful girl?" _She sang, her voice soothing the burn in Simon's chest better than any medication could have ever dreamed of doing.

"_The one in the chair? It seems so unfair, We should go on a spree, and not she. Gee, I know someone would be my hero, If that someone were, to go invite her…" _She sang, holding out the tragically beautiful note as she motioned to Eleanor, who sat with her head down in the wheelchair opposite them upstage.

"Well, maybe I could invite her!" Theodore exclaimed, pulling back from Jeanette as he pointed to himself.

"Oh Biq, really? _You would do that for me?!"_

"I would do anything for you, Miss Galinda," Theodore recited solemnly, stepping closer to Jeanette before dashing around her and over to Eleanor.

"Excuse me, Miss Nessarose!" He called, twirling Eleanor around in her chair as he pushed her offstage, winking over his shoulder at Jeanette. "There's something I'd like to ask you…"

"You're good," Alvin called, leaping off of the overhead prop he'd been sitting on.

"I don't know what you mean," Jeanette replied slowly, pulling a silly pose as she walked away from Alvin. "But, I do happen to be free tonight so…"Jeanette continued, twirling around slowly and eyeing Alvin in a way that made Simon's heart jump before he could even fathom being jealous.

"So, I'll pick you up around eight?"

"_After all," _Jeanette began singing as Simon looked down at the script nervously. He'd forgotten this part. "_Now that we've met one another,"_

"_It's clear we deserve each other," _the two sang, beginning the duet.

"You're perfect," Alvin cooed, placing his hand on her cheek.

"You're perfect!" Jeanette chirped in return, as Alvin slid his hands down to hold her arms. Simon felt his fingers tearing the paper fisted beneath them as a bead of sweat fell down his cheek like a tear.

"_So we're perfect together, Born to be forever!"_

"_Dancing through life!" _They sang together as Alvin swung Jeanette around again, pulling her close until they were nose-to-nose. Simon's blood was set to boiling as he was certain he'd never seen a cue in the history of the play requiring Fiyero to be that close to Galinda this much. Especially not as Alvin grinned wickedly, his hand sliding from her shoulder ever so slowly down to rest on the small of her back, easing her forward gently until her chest pushed against his own. Pressing his forehead to hers, Alvin lifted Jeanette easily into his arms, twirling offstage as he held her bridal style while Jeanette laughed effortlessly, the sound bruising an already burning heart.

Simon was on his feet, slamming his fist down on the table in front of them.

"Nope, I don't think so!" He blurted out, his breath coming in heaves as he tried to keep himself from leaping down the auditorium seats to wrap his hands around his brother's neck. "This isn't going to work, Mrs. Wilson," he said, lowering his voice as he focused on calming himself down, failing miserably.

"Is something wrong dear?" Mrs. Wilson asked, confused. "You're looking awfully…frustrated."

"Well I just…I…I…don't think he's doing the part justice," Simon began, running a hand through his hair as he pushed his glasses up his nose, which was wet with sweat. He leaned his head into his lap, mopping his face with the front of his shirt, which was old anyway and used for working.

"I thought he did a fine job," Mrs. Wilson continued, signaling to Brittany and Eleanor to take five. Simon picked his head up to see Alvin chatting with Jeanette offstage as she giggled into her hand in response. His heart rose in his throat again, beating madly.

"He's murdering the dancing!" He spat out suddenly, without thinking. As soon as he had spoken the words, his brain ran with them. "He's doing more improvisation than following script, which marks a sore actor from the very beginning." He sat back in his chair, his arms folded over his chest as he blew out a breath.

"It's only his first time running through the scene, Simon. They can't be right on target every time. But if you think—"

"I just don't think he's fit for the part," Simon repeated, his eyes boring down on the pair laughing behind the curtains.

Mrs. Wilson smiled knowingly, watching as Simon's jealously radiated off him worse than heat waves in mid-July. She pulled her shiny glasses off her nose, cleaning them on her loudly colored shawl. "Well if Alvin isn't going to be Fiyero, who is?" She leaned forward, a wicked smirk crossing her face.

After a moment of silence, Simon blurted out the words she had been waiting to hear since she first began auditions.

"I'll do it! I'll be Fiyero. And a damn good one too," he replied, mumbling the last words under his breath as he started down the stage, determination in his stride. "Is that okay with you, Mrs. Wilson?" He called over his shoulder.

She chuckled quietly to herself. _Some things about Simon will never change, _she thought before calling out, "Of course dear. Take the stage!"


End file.
